How to Help the Victims of the Las Vegas Shooting

The country is still reeling from the horrifying mass shooting in Las Vegas on October 1, when 64-year old Stephen Paddock opened fire on the audience at the Route 91 Harvest Festival from the nearby Mandalay Bay resort, killing at least 59 people and injuring at least 527. People in Las Vegas lined up for blocks to donate blood to hospitalized victims, and many more people all over the country are wondering what else they can do to support the victims. If you'd like to help the people in Las Vegas recover from the tragedy, here are a few things you can do.

1. Donate blood.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said at a press conference Monday morning that the city's greatest need was blood. Local hospitals have already received 250 blood products from the Red Cross and 200 blood and blood product units from United Blood Services. But the Red Cross is still accepting more donors from all around the country. You can visit the Red Cross blood donation website or call 800-733-2767 to arrange a donation, and it will be added to the national inventory, which goes wherever in the country it's most needed. If you're in the Las Vegas area, Uber is giving free rides to blood donation centers.

2. Donate money.

A GoFundMe page created by Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Joseph Lombardo is raising money for "relief and financial support" for the victims and their families. So far, they've raised over $3 million, but they're hoping to reach $3.5 million. There are also GoFundMe pages dedicated to the families of individual victims, including military veteran Chris Roybal and Disneyland worker Carrie Barnette.

People looking to get in touch with friends and family members who were in Las Vegas during the incident can get updates by calling 866-535-5654. You can retweet this tweet by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department so more people know how to get information. You can also share the location of the Family Assistance Center and Family Reunification Center: Las Vegas Convention Center Exhibit Hall S-2. And if you're going to share articles about the shooting, make sure it's not one of the hoax articles currently circulating.

Many people have pointed out that stricter gun control laws can help prevent tragedies like this. But Congress has been considering a bill that would make it easier to get gun silencers, which could help attackers like Paddock hide, and another that would let gun owners from concealed-carry states continue to conceal their weapons when they travel to states that don't allow concealed carry. To speak out against these bills and advocate for stronger gun laws, you can find a script and a number to call on Everytown's site.

5. Volunteer.

If you live in the area or can get there, you can use this Facebook page to volunteer your time, offer transportation, provide shelter, or donate food or supplies. Once you select the kind of help you're able to give, you can browse posts created by people who need it and message them to make plans. And if you aren't based near Las Vegas, look for local chapters of groups like the Red Cross and sign up to help in the event of an emergency closer to home.